PITTSBURGH — Police in Pittsburgh said a woman pretended to be a FedEx worker and took hundreds of dollars in packages from a single neighborhood.
Police said neighbors recorded video of Laura Woester on Nov. 4 as she removed packages from properties, WPXI reported.
Woester was seen wearing a face mask pulled down and FedEx uniform.
But neighbors told WPXI as Woester looked for packages sitting on a doorstep, a car followed behind. She would then grab the package from the home before getting into the black Kia SUV.
At one point she apparently realized she was being recorded and went to the vehicle to put on a coat and a different mask, before resuming the alleged package theft.
Woester is facing misdemeanor theft charges, according to court records.
WPXI reached out to FedEx to find out if Woester is an employee and where she got the uniform.
The company said in a statement:
“At this time, we have not found any record of this individual working for or providing service for FedEx.
“Drivers making deliveries for FedEx wear company-issued photo ID badges at all times and only pick up shipments upon request by the customer. Any customer who suspects fraudulent activity should contact police. We cooperate with authorities in these investigations.”
As holiday shopping starts to take off, CNet has offered these tips to keep porch pirates at bay.
- Track your packages so you can retrieve them as soon as they are delivered.
- Invest in a doorbell camera. This can discourage people from taking your items and provide police with evidence if you fall victim to a theft.
- Have packages delivered to a locker instead of your home.
- Invest in a porch lockbox that is designed to hold packages.
- Require signatures for deliveries.
- Install a mailbox sensor that will ping you when the mailbox has been opened.
Visit CNet for more.
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